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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. bass — the fish
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. key — the most important part
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. key — in music
  7. shower — to wash
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. key — for a lock
  10. rash — a series
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. shower — rain
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rash — hasty
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — of the year
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. bass — low music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com